Abstract: Electrical connector including a contact array having electrical contacts. Each of the electrical contacts includes a proximal base and an elongated body that extends from the proximal base to a distal end. The elongated body has a longitudinal axis extending between the proximal base and the distal end, and a lateral axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The elongated body includes a body side that extends along the longitudinal and lateral axes and is shaped to form a wipe track. The wipe track is configured to engage a contact finger of the mating connector as the contact finger moves linearly along the longitudinal axis. The wipe track has a non-linear path such that the wipe track turns at least partially in a lateral direction as the wipe track moves toward the proximal base along the longitudinal axis.

Abstract: Electrical connector including a connector housing that is configured to engage a mating connector during a mating operation. The electrical connector also includes a plurality of electrical contacts that coupled to the connector housing. Each of the electrical contacts includes a proximal base that is coupled to the connector housing and an elongated body that extends from the proximal base to a distal end. The elongated body has a body side that extends between the proximal base and the distal end and is configured to engage a corresponding mating contact of the mating connector. The body side has a stamped indentation, wherein each of the electrical contacts includes a pore-blocking substance within the corresponding stamped indentation and along a surrounding portion of the exterior surface that is adjacent to the corresponding stamped indentation.

Abstract: A header transition connector includes a header housing having a separating wall separating a first cavity from a second cavity. Header signal contacts are held by the header housing. The header signal contacts are arranged in pairs carrying differential signals. The header signal contacts have first mating ends in the first cavity for mating with a first receptacle connector. The header signal contacts have second mating ends in the second cavity for mating with a second receptacle connector. Header ground shields are held by the header housing. The header ground shields have first mating ends in the first cavity for mating with the first receptacle connector. The header ground shields have second mating ends in the second cavity for mating with the second receptacle connector. At least a group of the header ground shields are electrically commoned with each other within the header housing.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a connector housing configured to engage a mating connector during a mating operation. A contact array includes pin contacts coupled to the connector housing. Each of the pin contacts have an elongated body including a central plane that extends along a longitudinal axis to a mating end. Each of the pin contacts has first and second deflectable beams at the mating end. The first deflectable beam are configured to engage a first flexible contact finger of the mating connector and deflect toward the central plane during the mating operation. The second deflectable beam is configured to engage a second flexible contact finger of the mating connector and deflect toward the central plane during the mating operation.

Abstract: A header transition connector includes a header housing having a separating wall separating a first cavity from a second cavity. Header signal contacts are held by the header housing. The header signal contacts are arranged in pairs carrying differential signals. The header signal contacts have first mating ends in the first cavity for mating with a first receptacle connector. The header signal contacts have second mating ends in the second cavity for mating with a second receptacle connector. Header ground shields are held by the header housing. The header ground shields have first mating ends in the first cavity for mating with the first receptacle connector. The header ground shields have second mating ends in the second cavity for mating with the second receptacle connector. At least a group of the header ground shields are electrically commoned with each other within the header housing.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a connector housing configured to engage a mating connector during a mating operation. A contact array includes pin contacts coupled to the connector housing. Each of the pin contacts have an elongated body including a central plane that extends along a longitudinal axis to a mating end. Each of the pin contacts has first and second deflectable beams at the mating end. The first deflectable beam are configured to engage a first flexible contact finger of the mating connector and deflect toward the central plane during the mating operation. The second deflectable beam is configured to engage a second flexible contact finger of the mating connector and deflect toward the central plane during the mating operation.

Abstract: Electrical connector including a contact array of electrical contacts. Each of the electrical contacts has an elongated body that extends along a central axis and an exterior surface that includes a wipe track. The wipe track extends along the central axis and is configured to engage a flexible contact finger of the mating connector. Each of the elongated bodies includes a forward segment, a mating segment, and a ramp portion that extends between and joins the forward and mating segments. An elevation of the wipe track along the mating segment is greater than an elevation of the wipe track along the forward segment. An elevation of the wipe track along the ramp portion increases as the wipe track extends from the forward segment to the mating segment such that the ramp portion deflects the contact finger from a first deflected condition to a greater second deflected condition.

Abstract: Electrical connector including a contact array of electrical contacts. Each of the electrical contacts has an elongated body that extends along a central axis and an exterior surface that includes a wipe track. The wipe track extends along the central axis and is configured to engage a flexible contact finger of the mating connector. Each of the elongated bodies includes a forward segment, a mating segment, and a ramp portion that extends between and joins the forward and mating segments. An elevation of the wipe track along the mating segment is greater than an elevation of the wipe track along the forward segment. An elevation of the wipe track along the ramp portion increases as the wipe track extends from the forward segment to the mating segment such that the ramp portion deflects the contact finger from a first deflected condition to a greater second deflected condition.

Abstract: Electrical connector including a connector body having a mating side with a communication array of signal and ground contacts and first and second mounting sides with respective mounting arrays of signal and ground contacts. Each of the first and second mounting sides is configured to be mounted to a corresponding circuit board. The connector body includes signal and ground conductors that extend through the connector body and communicatively couple the communication array to each of the mounting arrays. The mating side faces along a mating axis and the first and second mounting sides face in opposite directions along a mounting axis. The mating and mounting axes are perpendicular to each other.

Abstract: Electrical connector including a module assembly having a contact module. The contact module has a module body and signal conductors held by the module body. The module assembly has a shroud-engaging face. The signal conductors have respective signal members disposed along the shroud-engaging face. The electrical connector also includes a connector shroud that couples to the module assembly. The connector shroud has a mating side, a loading side, and a mating axis extending therebetween. The connector shroud includes contact passages that extend therethrough. The loading side interfaces with the shroud-engaging face. The connector shroud couples to the module assembly in first or second rotational positions about the mating axis. The contact passages align with the signal members for each of the first and second rotational positions.

Abstract: Electrical connector including a module assembly having a contact module. The contact module has a module body and signal conductors held by the module body. The module assembly has a shroud-engaging face. The signal conductors have respective signal members disposed along the shroud-engaging face. The electrical connector also includes a connector shroud that couples to the module assembly. The connector shroud has a mating side, a loading side, and a mating axis extending therebetween. The connector shroud includes contact passages that extend therethrough. The loading side interfaces with the shroud-engaging face. The connector shroud couples to the module assembly in first or second rotational positions about the mating axis. The contact passages align with the signal members for each of the first and second rotational positions.

Abstract: Electrical connector including a connector body having a mating side with a communication array of signal and ground contacts and first and second mounting sides with respective mounting arrays of signal and ground contacts. Each of the first and second mounting sides is configured to be mounted to a corresponding circuit board. The connector body includes signal and ground conductors that extend through the connector body and communicatively couple the communication array to each of the mounting arrays. The mating side faces along a mating axis and the first and second mounting sides face in opposite directions along a mounting axis. The mating and mounting axes are perpendicular to each other.

Abstract: A receptacle assembly includes a contact module having a conductive holder and a frame assembly received in the conductive holder and electrically shielded by the conductive holder. The frame assembly has a plurality of receptacle signal contacts having mating portions extending from the conductive holder. The receptacle signal contacts are arranged in differential pairs carrying differential signals. Ground shields are received in the conductive holder between the frame assembly and the conductive holder. The ground shields have grounding beams extending along the mating portions of the receptacle signal contacts. The grounding beams are arranged on four sides of each differential pair of the receptacle signal contacts.

Abstract: Electrical connector including a conductor pair having first and second signal conductors extending through the connector body along respective paths between the mating and mounting sides. The first signal conductor has a height and a thickness taken transverse to a direction of the respective path and includes a flag segment and a base segment. The height of the first signal conductor along the flag segment is greater than the height of the first signal conductor along the base segment. The electrical connector also includes a dielectric body extending between the mating and mounting sides and surrounding the conductor pair. The dielectric body has a signal-control trench that extends along and exposes the flag segment to an air dielectric. The signal-control trench has a height that is measured along the height of the flag segment. The height of the signal-control trench is less than the height of the flag segment.

Abstract: Electrical connector including a conductor pair having first and second signal conductors extending through the connector body along respective paths between the mating and mounting sides. The first signal conductor has a height and a thickness taken transverse to a direction of the respective path and includes a flag segment and a base segment. The height of the first signal conductor along the flag segment is greater than the height of the first signal conductor along the base segment. The electrical connector also includes a dielectric body extending between the mating and mounting sides and surrounding the conductor pair. The dielectric body has a signal-control trench that extends along and exposes the flag segment to an air dielectric. The signal-control trench has a height that is measured along the height of the flag segment. The height of the signal-control trench is less than the height of the flag segment.

Abstract: A contact module includes a conductive holder and a frame assembly received in the conductive holder with receptacle signal contacts arranged in differential pairs. A ground shield is received in the conductive holder between the frame assembly and the conductive holder. The ground shield has a mounting end with ground pins extending from a mounting edge at the mounting end of the ground shield. Forces are imparted on the ground pins during coupling with a circuit board. The mounting end has a plurality of bearing surfaces proximate to the ground pins. The bearing surfaces engage at least one of the conductive holder and the frame assembly to transfer the forces between the ground shield and at least one of the conductive holder and the frame assembly.

Abstract: A receptacle assembly includes a contact module having a conductive holder and a frame assembly received in the conductive holder. The frame assembly includes a first frame and a second frame, each frame having at least two frame members each supporting a differential pair of receptacle signal contacts and being separated by a gap. The first and second frames are interested such that at least one frame member of the first frame is received in a corresponding gap of the second frame between frame members of the second frame and such that at least one frame member of the second frame is received in a corresponding gap of the first frame between frame members of the first frame.

Abstract: A receptacle assembly includes a receptacle housing and a contact module received in the housing. The contact module includes a tray having a cavity defined by inner surfaces of the tray. Ground inlays are received in the cavity along corresponding inner surfaces. The ground inlays have ground slats and ground flanges extending from the ground slats. A frame assembly is received in the cavity of the tray between the ground inlays. The frame assembly is electrically shielded by the ground inlays and has a plurality of receptacle signal contacts arranged in differential pairs carrying differential signals. The ground slats extend along opposite sides of corresponding pairs of the receptacle signal contacts and the ground flanges extend between pairs of the receptacle signal contacts.

Abstract: A receptacle assembly includes a receptacle housing and a contact module received in the housing. The contact module includes a tray having a cavity defined by inner surfaces of the tray. Ground inlays are received in the cavity along corresponding inner surfaces. The ground inlays have ground slats and ground flanges extending from the ground slats. A frame assembly is received in the cavity of the tray between the ground inlays. The frame assembly is electrically shielded by the ground inlays and has a plurality of receptacle signal contacts arranged in differential pairs carrying differential signals. The ground slats extend along opposite sides of corresponding pairs of the receptacle signal contacts and the ground flanges extend between pairs of the receptacle signal contacts.

Abstract: A receptacle assembly includes a contact module having a conductive holder and a frame assembly received in the conductive holder and electrically shielded by the conductive holder. The frame assembly has a plurality of receptacle signal contacts having mating portions extending from the conductive holder. The receptacle signal contacts are arranged in differential pairs carrying differential signals. Ground shields are received in the conductive holder between the frame assembly and the conductive holder. The ground shields have grounding beams extending along the mating portions of the receptacle signal contacts. The grounding beams are arranged on four sides of each differential pair of the receptacle signal contacts.